New HCE scenario - Capture of Ibrahim al-Awal

[CV32]

The Capture of Ibrahim al-Awal, 1 November 1956 (historical scenario)
by Enrique Mas

After the US refused to pay the building of the Aswan dam project, the Egyptian president Colonel Nasser decides to nationalize the Suez Canal on 26 July 1956 to pay for the dam building. British and French, interested on the recuperation of the Canal and in the freedom of navigation, signed with Israel the then and for many years secret Protocol of Sevres on late October 1956. On 29 October 1956 Israel attacks the Sinai Peninsula in the designated as Operation Kadesh. With the alibi of protect the freedom of navigation in the Canal and his approaches (and because the secret treaty with Israel), Britain and France launched an ultimatum to the fighting factions calling to withdraw from within 16 km of the Suez Canal. When Egypt refused, the British and French launched Operation Musketeer to secure the Canal zone, with the ruse of separating Egyptian and Israeli forces. Operation Musketeer, comprising a massive air strike (in part failed) from the carriers, Cyprus and Malta against the Egyptian airbases and airborne, heliborne and landing occupation, inclusive with heavy armour, of Port Said, his twin city Port Fuad and the Canal Zone. Some days later, on 7 November 1956, as both President Eisenhower, the not-alligned States and the Soviet Union strongly opposed British-French military action, was acorded a cease-fire and the Anglo-French troops retired from the Canal Zone. As a Egyptian counter-strike in the first hours of the war against Israel, the solitaire assignation of the Egyptian destroyer Ibrahim el-Awal (An old Hunt type I class frigate, previously also in service in the Nationalist China) to bombard the Israeli shore city of Haifa with the main Israeli port in the Mediterranean was almost condemned to failure because his lack of support, but only after firing some 160 shells of 4 inches on Haifa in 20 minutes. After to be rocket-fired by two Israeli Ouragans, the Ibrahim el-Awal was seized by the Israeli forces and put in service in the Israeli navy as INS Haifa. Only some hours later, with the intervention of Britain and France in secret vinculation with Israel through the Protocol of Sevres, with the alibi of protect the Suez Canal for sake of freedom of navigation, the Anglo-French strike and occupation of Port Said, his twin city Port Fuad and the Canal Zone begun.

This scenario is designed for play by the Israeli/Blue or the Egyptian/Red side, but it's a historical and very unbalanced scenario.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) scenario for the custom Middle East battleset and the HCE Cold War Database (HCCW-120614 or later).

You can download the database and scenario at HarpGamer.

[CV32]

The Capture of Ibrahim al-Awal (hypothetical scenario)
by Enrique Mas

After the US refused to pay the building of the Aswan dam project, the Egyptian president Colonel Nasser decides to nationalize the Suez Canal on 26 July 1956 to pay for the dam building. British and French, interested on the recuperation of the Canal and in the freedom of navigation, signed with Israel the then and for many years secret Protocol of Sevres on late October 1956. On 29 October 1956 Israel attacks the Sinai Peninsula in the designated as Operation Kadesh. With the alibi of protect the freedom of navigation in the Canal and his approaches (and because the secret treaty with Israel), Britain and France launched an ultimatum to the fighting factions calling to withdraw from within 16 km of the Suez Canal. When Egypt refused, the British and French launched Operation Musketeer to secure the Canal zone, with the ruse of separating Egyptian and Israeli forces. Operation Musketeer, comprising a massive air strike (in part failed) from the carriers, Cyprus and Malta against the Egyptian airbases and airborne, heliborne and landing occupation, inclusive with heavy armour, of Port Said, his twin city Port Fuad and the Canal Zone. Some days later, on 7 November 1956, as both President Eisenhower, the not-alligned States and the Soviet Union strongly opposed British-French military action, was acorded a cease-fire and the Anglo-French troops retired from the Canal Zone. As a Egyptian counter-strike in the first hours of the war against Israel, the solitaire assignation of the Egyptian destroyer Ibrahim al-Awal to bombard the Israeli shore city of Haifa and his port was almost condemned to failure because his lack of support.

This scenario speculates about the possibility of a open naval-centered fight in the first hours of Operation Musketeer, just before the Anglo-French intervention. In the scenario the Egyptian side compromisses most of his naval assets in the sea to support the Ibrahim al-Awal mission, and both sides have assigned some air assets for support of his naval forces (about the 40% of each initial air force is represented in this scenario).

This scenario is designed for play by the Israeli/Blue or the Egyptian/Red side, but to prevent some spoilers is better to play first the Blue side some times and only after play the Red side.

It's recommended to play the scenario in slow time compression, between 1 seconde and 1 minute most of the time.

A Harpoon Commander's Edition (HCE) scenario for the custom Middle East battleset and the HCE Cold War Database (HCCW-120614 or later).

You can download the database and scenario at HarpGamer.